DATCrusher: American Vs. Canadian DAT

DATCrusher: American Vs. Canadian DAT

The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is used by most Canadian Dental Schools in their admission selection process. In fact, every Dental School requires the DAT in Canada except McGill. Since the DAT is offered only twice a year (Early November and Mid-February), it’s very important to plan ahead in order to prepare for it. The format of the test is as follows:

Section

Time

# of Questions

Manual Dexterity Test

30 minutes

1 Soap Carving

Science (Biology + Chemistry)

60 minutes

70 questions

Perceptual Ability Test

60 minutes

90 questions

Reading Comprehension Test

50 minutes

50 questions

With the exception of the MDT, the Canadian and American tests seem very similar. However there exists both obvious and subtle differences in certain sections that makes the two versions stand out. The following list outlines some of these aforementioned differences and was made possible by the feedback of students who have personally written both the Canadian and American versions of the exam. Furthermore, this list is not fully inclusive! It is simply meant to portray the reality that difference do in fact exist between the two exams.